there was the launch of Tizio by Richard Sapper , the revolutionary wireless lamp with great sales success ; the name was chosen by Gismondi who thought everyone would like it , hence the name taken from the “ Tizio , Caio and Sempronio ” saying ( Italian expression meaning everyone ). He dared to use plastic in the design of objects by applying his knowledge of rocketry . In fact , aware even then of the necessary sustainability of mass production , he preferred to focus his company on lamps . Artemide therefore continued on its path , touching or discovering stars of the first magnitude . As a client , he often relied even on a simple sketch without a detailed project , and thus welcomed and made the dreams of other designers his own and making them real ; like the ones presented to him by Vico Magistretti , of whom he liked to recall that “ all the drawings he gave me to send into production were full of notes and telephone numbers .” An enlightened entrepreneur , he set up a research centre , invested heavily in R & D , collaborated with universities and also began to design , using the pseudonym Örni Halloween from 1974 until the mid-nineties , from which date he signed only with his real name . Gismondi actually signed a few projects under his own name that he considered more “ sober ”, such as the Sintesi desk lamp ( 1975 ), now out of production . He also signed the Aton Barra in 1980 , which introduced the company to the world of the office ; it was the first complex lighting system to be produced by Artemide . Gismondi chose to keep his figure as an entrepreneur separate from that of a designer , and therefore from his activity as a product stylist , partly so that he could easily carry out the two roles linked to different skills – and we would add , by highlighting the generosity that characterised him , given that he , the engineer , could have devoted himself solely to design and become a great master – and partly so that he could express himself through a more decorative design approach . Here , we recall the Venexiana collection , made in Murano blown glass in the 1990s , which included Ermione , the splendid multicoloured Gaia and then Leda , Cigno , Santori and finally Pantalica ( 1995 ), still in production today . His alter-ego also designed the Eretteo table ( 1974 ) and the Macumba ( 1974 ), Minosse ( 1976 ) and Poto ( 1976 ) lamps . In the 1980s he was part of the Memphis collective founded by Ettore Sottsass , also making the products . Memphis made an impression on the design scene as an exponent of postmodernism , with products that included an extreme use of colour and coloured geometric patterns . Although it did not have any real commercial success , it brought about a profound evolution in the world of design in Italy and in the world , and all its objects are now in museums . Hence , the close collaboration with the designers who were part of it , such as Ettore Sottsass , Michele De Lucchi , Andrea Branzi , Martine Bedin , Aldo Cibic , Nathalie du Pasquier , Michael Graves , Massimo Iosa Ghini , Shiro Kuramata , Javier Mariscal , Alessandro Mendini , Peter Shire , George Sowden , Gerard Taylor , Matteo Thun , Masanori Umeda , Marco Zanini and Marco Zanuso . The decade of the nineties is the one that saw the beginning of the new vision of light as a material and thus beyond form . The research
Pantalica , 1995 Progetto di Örni Halloween , pseudonimo di Ernesto Gismondi / Design by Örni Halloween , pseudonym of Ernesto Gismondi
was constantly evolving , the LED sources began to spread and we moved towards the “ Human Light ”, a concept sought after by Ernesto Gismondi and Carlotta De Bevilacqua , his wife and fellow adventurer . Artemide made a manifesto expressing its intention to put light at the service of man , and then presented a series of lamps , all using an innovative RGB technology to create colourful atmospheres that adapted to people ’ s moods , called the Metamorfosi collection . This was the beginning of the intelligent light ; we were on the way towards smart lighting . By now , the products are beyond the home environment , as there are lighting systems for offices and public places ; an evolutionary path was started that would lead to the “ Human and Responsible Light ”. Gismondi was keen on technological innovation for human well-being ; he wanted technologies that spoke of feelings and emotions without neglecting the factors of comfort and well-being . One of the most recent innovations is Integralis , a lighting system for sanitising environments : born before the pandemic and out of scientific and technological research , but above all out of Artemide ’ s humanistic and social vision , it takes its name from its formula , which is precisely an integral , and is managed by the Artemide App . His voice was the first to be heard at the traditional Salone del Mobile in Milan ( MFF ) and
Empatia , 2013 Progetto di / Design by Carlotta de Bevilacqua e / and Paola di Arianello
his vision was highly awaited by the journalists , but certainly also by the entire international design industry . The famous engineer created many lamps as a designer and was awarded the Compasso d ’ Oro for his career ; moreover , Ernesto Gismondi has received countless awards and honours , both personally – he was appointed Cavaliere della Repubblica – and for his products and the Artemide company . In the highly successful collections he designed , such as Aurora , Nur and Discovery ( Compasso d ’ Oro 2018 ), we can see his love for beauty and harmony , as well as for technical progress . Artemide is an undisputed leader in the lighting sector . Its lamps are true icons and can be seen everywhere , on desks all over the world , in museums and homes , and even in fictions and in Hollywood movies . We can say that the “ cast ” of Artemide has starred in the Italian crime drama Lolita Lobosco , as well as in many films , including The Wolf of Wall Street and James Bond - Skyfall , and in the cult TV series Black Mirror . The Artemide lamps bear witness to a design culture that has always let the Italian flag fly high . Not surprisingly , he declared that he wanted to bring light to Mars ; he would surely have followed the landing on the red planet with great curiosity , dreaming of future horizons for his lamps .
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